Andy Burnham has said he will look at how rape cases are conducted in court after Russell Brand’s conviction, to ensure they do not leave women feeling like they are the ones on trial.
The prime minister refused to rule out changes to the law, saying he would study the case “in great detail”.
He also described Brand’s actions as “horrifying” and praised the bravery of the women who had the “courage to speak out” against the comedian.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has also called for the case to be a “wake-up call” to the media and entertainment industries, saying “we owe it to all of the women who so bravely came forward in this case, and other victims of abuse, to ensure this is the line in the sand”.
Brand faces a lengthy jail sentence after being convicted of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three women at the height of his fame.
The Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said on Friday that some of what he had heard reported from Brand’s trial was “getting very close to victim blaming” as he backed calls for judges to have to issue directions on rape myths and misconceptions to juries.
Speaking to Times Radio, Mr Burnham said: "I think we need to constantly look at the way rape trials are conducted to make sure that they do not leave the woman feeling like she is on trial in court, as has been the experience of people in the past.
“So I will look closely at what Sir Mark Rowley is saying. Always prepared to make changes.”
Asked whether that meant changes to the law, he said: “I wouldn't rule anything out, of course not... I will study what's happened here in great detail."
He added: “We need to encourage more women to come forward to report rape. We need to get the conviction rate up. It has improved, but not enough. We need to do more to support victims of sexual assault and rape, and we will do that as well.”
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday, Sir Mark was told Brand’s defence lawyer Ian Winter KC had told jurors that “none of the complainants had, in his words, resisted or screamed or even tried to leave”.
Sir Mark replied: “I think what I’ve heard reported heads towards... victim blaming.”
He warned that “people fall into myths” about how rape victims will behave.
“The evidence is really clear,” he said. “Some people will fight. Some people will freeze. Some people will tell people straight away. Some people bottle it up for years. There isn’t one way of reacting.”
He added that “it shouldn’t be possible for inaccurate statements to be made to a jury to suggest that because a rape victim didn’t behave in one way, that somehow that undermines their case, when the evidence is very clear. We’re all (of a) very different sort of psychological and personal make-up, and in the most extraordinary horrific moments, of course, people react very differently”.
Asked if he would support Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman, who wants a legal duty in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would require judges to issue directions to juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial, Sir Mark said: “I strongly support Claire”.
He also said he would not be surprised if “many more” alleged victims of Mr Brand now came forward.
High-profile cases such as this often lead to a rise in reporting because they give victims confidence to speak up about attackers, he said.
On Brand, he added: “There’s two more cases we’re investigating at the moment. I clearly wouldn’t be surprised if many more came forward.”
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a high-profile trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The star, 51, who denied all charges against him, was acquitted of two rape charges and a further accusation of attempted indecent assault.
A jury of eight men and four women took around nine hours to deliver their verdicts for each of the seven allegations against him.
The judge in the case, Mr Justice Bennathan, told Brand that he faces a “significant custodial term” when he is sentenced on Monday.
The PM is the most senior government figure to comment on the case since the jury delivered their verdict.
Before any of the allegations came to light, Mr Burnham was one of a number of politicians, including the foreign secretary Ed Miliband, who praised Brand. In 2014, Mr Burnham said he has used his celebrity status “to help others”, while the then-Labour leader Mr Miliband was interviewed by Brand as he courted his supporters in the run-up to the 2015 general election.
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